MISS BRENDA BELL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25963, 2 October 1945, Page 3

MISS BRENDA BELL

WAR WORK IN ENGLAND

Six years of army life in England has provided Miss Brenda Bell, of Shag Valley Station, who returned to New Zealand last week, with a wealth of experiConce and an intimate knowledge of the hardships and hopes of the people of England. Miss Bell served as a hospital cook in the military V.A.D. attached to the R.A.M.C. She spent some five years in the Eastern Command, two and a-half in Colchester Military Hospital, partly in the hospital kitchens, partly in V.A.D. mess, and for several months as cookmatron of the night nurses’ quarters. When the New Zealand General Hospital arrived in England she accepted an invitation to take charge of the kitchens, and the War Office duly posted her, but by that time the New Zealanders were under orders for movement abroad, so the posting was cancelled. During the time Miss Bell was in Colchester the Dunkirk evacuations kept the hospital busy, and later invasion was expected at any moment, and preparations were ready for instant evacuation. On several occasions the staff had to “ stand to,” as movement orders were expected. About that time stories of actual landings bv the enemy also caused excitement. From Colchester —one of the old Roman towns and famous for its oysters—she went to Southend, at the mouth of the Thames. It used to be the playground for London’s East End, and had a pier a mile

long, with dancing pavilions and a railway along to the end. The waterfront in ’one part was a mass af cheap shops selling souvenirs of Southend, Southend rock and the winkles and cockles and mussels beloved of the East End, which were Southend specialties. Southend, being on the edge of the London Defence Area, was decidedly noisy. Convoys anchored off the pier awaiting tide, berth, or sailing orders, and consequently were a useful target, so the Thames defences were formidable. Precautions for D-Day During the preparations for D-Day the area was crammed with men, vehicles and ships. Bits of what was later known as Mulberry Harbour appeared and vanished. They were strange-looking objects which floated by a miracle, and how they survived the Channel crossing one could not imagine. The vast concrete sections of breakwater and piers, the peculiar shapes, were vastly intriguing. Still no one mentioned them. “ Security ” disliked gossip about its little pets. At that time all letters were censored, and the army was forbidden to use the Post Office. Letters went to the company officer, and mostly—whether service or civilian—letters just sat until D-Day was over. It might be several weeks before they were released. During her service at Southend Miss Bell was cook to a camp reception station for A.T.S. These C.R.S. were small auxiliary hospitals designed to deal with minor troubles on the spot, and so relieve the base hospitals. Such things as influenza, boils, lesser pneumonias, sprains, and “ poorly bouts ” went straight to the Camp Recreation Station. Usually there was an army nursing sister in charge and a V.A.D. staff, plus such R.A.M.C. as was available. In England V.A.D. is a service term. The army V.A.D. was an official unit, while in the navy and air force there were also V.A.D.'s. The civil side of the Red Cross staffed civil hospitals under the Emergency Medical Scheme (known as E.M.S.), and did parttime jobs, but the services only accepted mobile members who were officially enlisted as full-lime, go anywhere, ordinary soldier, troops. Miss Bell ranked as a private, but the work of hospital cook was considered a trade in the R.A.M.C., so she received tradesman’s pay, having qualified at the Army Catering Centre, Aldershot, where, after a month’s testing course, she passed out as class I. Pay was good. As a “ cook unclassified ” her pay allowances were 11s 6d a week on entering, but when she was discharged she had been drawing £2, plus four free railway warrants a year, medical, dental, and hospital services. and all the usual insurances, board, lodging, and uniform allowance. Rigours of Rationing

Army rations were excellent, but civilian rationing was a very different story. The cooking fat allowance of one ounce—one short tabiespoon—a week meant real hardship. 'The meat ration of Is 2d a wee*, equal to 2d a day, could rarely be stretched over more than three days. Sausage (mostly bread and soya bean flour), offal (rarely available), dried egg, and cheese with fish, if possible, made up the other days. The bacon and cheese rations r.ow reduced to 3oz a week will increase the difficulties. For example, at one time the army issued 4oz bacon for one breakfast ration. Until quite recently restaurants could not serve e£g and bacon —i.e., two meat value foods—while menus showed fish or egg or meat or cheese dish, only one of which could be served with a limit of three courses. Milk ration in winter was Jpint four days a week. 2 pints in all, plus one tin of skim milk powder, equal to 3 pints per month. Most people had the cereal for breakfast, one good meal and a scrappy one. People who could go to canteens and cafes did better, but old people who lived alone or could not stand in queues or afford cafes found the rationing very difficult. In the country the women s voluntary services organised a service of meat pies, ration free, to supplement the rations for people far from restaurants, as the Ministiy of Food recognised the difference in conditions. Not every country dweller had a garden or allotment, though these enormously increased food production, while a rabbit hutch was a frequent ornament of the backyard. The Points Systejn

The Ministry of Food had done a marvellous job in instructing people in the use of available foods and in how to utilise unfamiliar materials, such as dried egg, milk (skim) powder, and soya flour. The points system of, recently, 20 points a month, permitted a certain choice in extras. Biscuits, cereals (except semolina), dried fruits, practically all tinned •goods, marmalade, golden syrup, treacle, were all on points. Plain biscuits, broken, might be as low as 2 points a lb, treacles were 16, a small tin of meat stew would be 20 or a large one of pork meats from 30 to 60, fruits 4 to 8, usually depending on supply. The values changed every two or three months. Sweets were 3oz per week. . , „„ People budgeted the family point supply, and considerable variety could be managed with careful planning. Saccharine was largely used for sweetening, and if people went out to tea they carried it (or sugar) if they needed it, milk, and often some other contribution. Visitors alw'ays brought something along. The system worked well, and it was suiprising how quickly everyone grasped the meaning of the odd-looking marks in ration books. „ , , Miss Bell returned to New' Zealand by the Rimutaka. On arrival at Wellington, the returning service people and the numerous brides in the ship were entertained at a reception at the holding hospital, where great bowls of kowhai and truys of .passion fruit cream cake delighted the Kiwis. Every possible arrangement was made. Husbands w'erc waiting, luggage collected, passed through the Customs and checked, cars, seats, and berths and meals provided. Mayors attended at eacli station to receive the local personnel.